Time To Be Thankful

Sandra here with a short but sweet post today because she knows how busy you all are with your holiday preparations.  I am so excited that Christmas is almost here. I love Christmas.  I love everything about this blessed holy day.  And whenever I think of it, I become reflective and so thankful for all of my blessings.

24 inch tree in my RV. Came out of a box all decorated. Yay!

We are instructed to be thankful. I don’t know about you all, but this year was a tough one for me and for my family. We are pretty happy that it is almost over.  We are definitely ready to start a new year.

Christmas menagerie-what you get when you don't have pine trees around.

In spite of the circumstances, I have truly learned to be thankful and look at all the blessings. I found that if I do look, they are there in abundance. Like Paul says in Philippians 4:12b  “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation.”

The secret is not really a secret. It is mentioned often in the Bible, especially the Psalms.

Give thanks.

Or no real grass.

This really works for me. I have learned to make a list every day and I write each and every thing I am thankful for.  Some times, it is something big like a wonderful fan letter. And some times it is something so minor you might not think it worth mentioning—like a parking spot in the shade or seeing a silly cactus lit up with Christmas lights.

At the end of the day, I look at that list and I feel content and at peace, because all those blessings happened amidst the storm.

Making this list keeps your mind focused on the positive. Paul says this in Philippians 4:8 “Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

Luminarias are a Southwestern tradition

These are good practices for life in general, but they are especially helpful to a writer. As writers, we are in a crazy business that involves rejections, an unstable income, and circumstances that get in the way of our muse and/or work.

Chili pepper lights-another Southwestern delight

My list of things to be thankful for has a special sub-list concerning my writing for that day. This helps me stay focused on the good that I accomplished instead of focusing on the words I didn’t write, or the social media I didn’t get to or the rejection that sailed in.

Instead I focus on the words I did write, the social media I did get to and a word of praise from a reader—usually a Seeker btw.  Smile

Who doesn't love M & M's?

One thing I am very thankful for is the promotion opportunities offered by one of our guests, Amy Brantley. She posted earlier this year in an article titled:  Book Promotion doesn’t Have to Cost a Fortune. 

 Her post helped me a lot, so she is definitely on my “thankful” list. So today I want to make two other writer’s thankful by offering a $25.00 gift certificate for her services.  You can see what she has to offer on her website here.  Book Promos By A Girl and Her Ebooks  

Can you tell I'm thankful for all the sparkling lights around me to cheer me up?

This has to be my favorite though. It is a blow-up trailer by the pool.

Santa opens and closes the door.  Too cute.

If the winner is a reader and not a writer,  I will offer two Seeker books. I know as a reader myself, that another book on the "to be read" pile is always a wonderful thing.

So on this beautiful day, please comment and tell our friends three things for which you are thankful.  Your name will be put into the candy dish.

Help yourself to chocolate velvet coffee. I also have some delightful hot chocolate with Christmas marshmallows. For a snack I stopped by the Sees Candy store.

Merry Christmas

Sandra Leesmith writes sweet romances to warm the heart. Sandra loves to play pickleball, hike, read, bicycle and write. She is based in Arizona, but she and her husband travel throughout the United States in their motorhome and enjoy the outdoors. You can find Sandra's books here on Amazon. Three of Sandra's most popular books are also audio books at Audible. You can read more of Sandra's posts here.